Umai at Guoco Midtown – a new restaurant for udon lovers

The Bugis-Beach Road area is a food hub with great dining options. Umai udon restaurant is a good addition to the scene. Tucked away in a brightly-lit unit at the new Guoco Midtown, Umai offers a unique focus on the Japanese wheat noodles – udon (うどん or 饂飩).

See-and-Be-Seen Ambiance

Umai is located on the ground level of Guoco Midtown, in the F&B zone called Midtown Market, There is some cool beach-themed furniture outside the restaurant – for those waiting for a place in the restaurant, or just a good marketing idea.

Inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows offer great views of the area, but that also mean everyone outside can see you slurping up your noodles. The open kitchen takes centre stage, occupying a large portion of the compact space. The interior design is a mix of retro diner and Japanese minimalism, but when it’s packed at lunchtime, the only design element you will notice is the sea of people.

Be Prepared to Queue (Maybe)

Umai can get busy, especially during peak hours. The restaurant has a system where you can only enter once your entire dining party is present. This can lead to a long wait, although it might not seem as bad as it looks. A queue of 12 could just be three groups of four.

There were reports of people queuing for more than an hour earlier this year, when Umai just opened. On our recent visit in April 2024, we only waited in line for about two minutes or so.

Their system is efficient. You queue outside, get seated, order at your table, and then pay at the cashier on your way out. Despite the potential wait to get in, the food arrives surprisingly quickly – ours came within 10 minutes of ordering.

Menu of Umai

The menu of Umai can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated, like us. Take a bit of time to study it. Udon dishes are categorised by noodle type, with options ranging from the thin “Hippari” to the flat “Himokawa”. According to UMAI’s website, the types of udon are from different Japanese prefectures as follows:-
Hoto – Yamanashi Prefecture
Sanuki – Kagawa Prefecture
Himokawa – Gunma Prefecture
Hippari – Yamagata Prefecture.

Udon bowls start from $13 and can be enjoyed hot, cold or stir-fried. There are also plenty of fusion options with local, Italian and Asian influences. There are Chiili Pan Mee Udon, Spicy Basil Udon and Jjajang Udon. They also offer donburi (rice bowls) and a few side dishes.

Below are pictures of pages of the Umai’s menu.

Udon Lunch at Umai

We probably should have tried their flat udon, which had received much attention on social media, and sampled the different types of udon. However, we just picked what we felt like eating on that day. So we ordered two dishes from the Sanuki section: the Ebi Taigaimori Sanuki Udon ($18) and the Miso Carbonara ($19). We also decided to pay the top-ups for the lunch sets – cabbage salad and chawanmushi set ($5); and cabbage salad and tempura set ($8).

Paying for the top-ups for the lunch sets was a good decision. The chawanmushi was good – smooth and silky and flavourful. The tempura was crispy and delicious. The cabbage salad with sesame dressing was nice and refreshing but the portion size was a bit on the small side.

The Ebi Taigaimori Sanuki Udon came with three large, succulent tiger prawns. It felt more like a prawn dish with a side of udon, but the prawns were perfectly cooked and had sweet firm meat. The broth was light and flavourful. The udon was smooth with a satisfying bite. It was a good comforting bowl of udon.

The Miso Carbonara featured al dente Sanuki udon with slow-cooked black pork, applewood smoked bacon and duck with a creamy miso carbonara sauce. It was a delightful combination of textures and flavours.

Good, But Not Queue-Worthy (For Us)

Overall, we had an enjoyable lunch at Umai. The service was efficient and attentive, and the food was well-prepared and tasty. The space gets quite crowded at peak hours, and tables are placed close together, making it less than ideal for intimate conversations or a long leisurely meal. Price-wise, Umai’s udon is not going to be your cheapest option.

We think Umai is a good choice if you want to try different types of udon. It is a good option for a quick bite, especially if you are dining alone or with just a couple of people. We will return to Umai. However, with so many other great food options in the Bugis-Beach Road area, we would not wait in a long line to get in.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs

UMAI
Guoco Midtown Market
128 Beach Road, #01-05, Singapore 189771

Tel: +65 8748 3750

Website